Maya Swedowsky
In this week’s Nielsen Online Webinar, “Consumers in Control: Social Media Strategies for Retailers and Brands,” I will be highlighting two key social media opportunities for Retailers: listening and engaging.
No one can deny just how prevalent social media has become, from Facebook to Twitter, its meteoric growth is hard to ignore*. But why is it absolutely imperative that retailers pay attention and get involved? The answer is simple, and dates back to pre-Internet days: the purchase consideration process has always been a social endeavor. Before the advent of social …

16 Million Strong and Growing: Growth Rate of Kids Online Outpaces Overall Internet Population
In May 2009, children aged 2-11 comprised nearly 16 million, or 9.5 percent, of the active online universe according to Nielsen Online. Since 2004, the number of kids online has increased 18 percent, as compared to 10 percent for the total active universe, with a fairly even split between boys and girls. The growth of children online outpaces the overall growth of children in the U.S., where kids under 14 are projected to decrease by 1 percent …

Prior to his sudden death 10 days ago, Michael Jackson’s value as a buzzable star had been relatively dim.  Although he was about to embark on a series of 50 concerts in London later this month, the conversation about Jackson was limited to his fans.  But now, Jackson is once again the King… of internet buzz.  Conversations around Jackson and his death dominated the web, dwarfing other recent buzz surrounding the Obama inauguration, the swine flu scare, other celebrity passings, the iPhone, and the Iranian election. (click image to enlarge)

While the …

How have gamers responded to the recession? While much of the conversation has focused on fluctuations in new game sales, a new study “The Value Gamer: Play and Purchase Behavior in a Recession” by the Nielsen Company shows there is much more to the story. Over the past several months, the number of hours that gamers claim to be playing is at an all time high, part of a rising trend in gameplay that began in 2007. Additionally, gamers have increased their purchase of used games to record-breaking totals since …

In economic terms, the auto industry was hit by the perfect storm: high gas prices, tight consumer financing, plant closings, brand reductions, dealership pruning, employee layoffs, longer vehicle retention, surplus inventory, manufacturer bankruptcies and waning consumer confidence. Despite a 37% decrease in total auto sales over 2008, bright spots persisted: the redesigned Forester revved up Subaru sales while price leaders Hyundai and Kia gained traction from new models. Online media has changed the rules of the road for auto marketing by placing consumer generated media squarely in the driver’s seat.

Spanish-language ad spending is on the rise—posting gains in just about every major product category in 2008. What is the best strategy to reach an audience whose language proficiencies and preferences range from Spanish-only through various degrees of bilingual skills to English-only? Language holds the key to success as a strong emotional link is forged with the Hispanic consumer when ads are rendered in their native language.

Based on an examination of over 100 client engagements related to cost innovation conducted over the past five years, Nielsen illuminates the right way to navigate this challenge and highlights important principles to adhere to in embracing the risks and rewards of downsizing, upsizing, changing the package material, and making product reformulations.

While the American auto industry is no doubt facing an uncertain future, the Big Three can look to NASCAR for some positive news. Not only are the top five drivers in the Sprint Cup Standings all driving American, but also NASCAR fans, long known for their brand loyalty, are staying patriotic when it comes to their vehicles.

According to data from Nielsen’s People Meter sample fused with the respondents of MRI’s Survey of the American Consumer, NASCAR race viewers in Q1′09 were more likely than the average consumer to drive American:

Drivers of Chevrolet, …

Hispanics comprise a growing 15% of today’s American moviegoers and amounted to over 128 million of U.S. box office admissions in 2008. Latinos not only represent an opportunity to positively impact overall box office success, but they are an influential segment with the power to build brand awareness.

Two of the “Big Three” U.S. automakers have gone bankrupt.  Car sales continue to decline.  This would appear to be the most challenging period for the automotive industry in its history.  But despite the gloom, there are some bright spots for auto makers, according to new research from The Nielsen Company.
The re-designed Forester boosted sales for Subaru, while Hyundai and Kia launched new models appealing to younger drivers.  Existing models, such as the Sorento and Sedona posted strong sales growth (69% and 48%, respectively).  And Lincoln was the only U.S. …